Department of Criminology

The Department of Criminology provides students with a thorough knowledge of criminology, as well as an understanding of the criminal justice system and the problems that beset it.

The department is composed of seven faculty members who are committed to excellence in education, both individually and collectively. This commitment targets student education through the use of both traditional classroom teaching techniques and innovative methods of educational outreach through intensive educational experiences and other alternative teaching formats.

Criminology students can begin a criminal justice career before graduation through internships in all areas – police work, the courts, customs, corrections, juvenile facilities, enforcement, investigation, safety and security, public defender’s office, and various other offices and departments – and on all levels of government.

Students have opportunities for comparative summer studies in England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Scotland. These trips allow students to compare the enforcement of laws  and the functioning of the criminal justice systems not just in a textbook, but in the countries themselves.

Criminology graduates have been accepted to the best graduate and law schools in the country. Other students who choose to enter the workforce have found employment in a variety of criminal justice agencies, such as U.S. Customs, Associated Marine Institutes (alternative juvenile facility), Capital Collateral (Florida’s Death Penalty Appellate Agency), Bay Area Youth Services, police departments and prisons throughout the nation.

Programs

Bachelor of Science in Criminology - Prepares students for graduate school or an entry-level position in the criminal justice field. A law and justice minor is jointly administered by the government and criminology departments and offers a diverse course selection in business, criminal, constitutional, comparative and international law.  The major is interdisciplinary in that faculty have been trained in numerous fields and are thus able to offer students a diversity of courses. Learn more.

Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science - Prepares students for careers in forensic chemistry and forensic toxicology. Graduates typically are employed in local, state, and federal crime laboratories or law enforcement agencies, such as the FDA, EPA, and OSHA. Forensic chemistry is an option for pre-professional majors and for those interested in pursuing master's or doctoral degrees. Students successfully completing the program will also be awarded a minor in criminal investigation.